The Loneliest Traid

Love and death and war and Gods and blood and magic and dancing and rest and revenge and kings and fate.Don't worry, within these three stories you'll know yourself,And I will put you back together again.

39. The Flower Festival

“It is called many things,” Samhain began, “The flower festival, most commonly, or La Blathanna, or Nona’s Day, but that is not its real name. It is called Pahned’s Festival.”

“Pahned, like the sea?” Jinmi said.

“Also like Daphne, an anagram.”

“Pahned… Daphne. Wait, do you mean-”

“The great sea Pahned is named after your love, yes.”

This, for some reason, broke Jinmi’s heart. For a Goddess so important, why did she stay with him?

Samhain found the courage to brush Jinmi’s shoulder lightly. He pulled away almost too quickly, startling them both, “Would you like me to stop?”

“No, please tell me. You’re the only one that will.”

Samhain smiled, “Alright, then I’ll go on,

“Appalla is the Goddess of music, of knowledge, of sun and of plague. Long ago, she was struck by an arrow in attempt to mock Cupid. Daphne was struck with one of lead. The naiad girl, a lost soul within the spirit world, was filled with hatred for Appalla, and Appalla - flooded with gold, fell for the naiad girl. She turned her into a Goddess and brought her into the second realm, where she built a home for her far up in the peaks of our world. She promised her anything she could ever need, but Daphne could not love Appalla, not only by Cupid’s mean either. Appalla was controlling, and cruel, and Daphne wanted nothing more than to be rid of her,

“She went to Cupid and begged him to reverse the spell, which he did. But Appalla, true to herself, had already fallen for the beautiful tree sprite and insisted on staying by her side, forever. One night Daphne found her home full of Gods, trying to pull her away to live with Appalla once and for all, their hands heavy with shackles for her. She ran, and found herself back to Cupid’s fountain where she met a God drinking from the stream. His name was Eros, a man I am sure you know well?”

Jinmi nodded, but didn’t give away anymore.

“With a love like yours, I suspect that he helped you find the waterfall to our world. It’s no matter, I won’t tell anyone. It’s not like I could.”

“Eros and Daphne knew each other?”

“Well that was it,” Samhain raked his nails along the back of his hand, “He heard her story and cursed to Cupid, who turned the balance of love he had set for Daphne. He told her to run, to travel back to the first realm and hide from Appalla for as long as she lived.”

“And she did?”

“She heard of Mavros, a place shrouded by dark magic. She waited there a long time, selling spells of what flowers she learned to sprout. Until, I suppose she met you, and you would know the rest better than I.”

“I can’t believe she never told me this,” he watched the streaks build up under Samhain’s skin, the lines blossoming red, his body frail now, “And why is it called Pahned’s Festival?”

“Appalla wanted to hunt Daphne down. She renamed the seas, created festivals and flowers in her name and shape, but no one could ever find her, no matter how many Gods she sent down after her. Eros promised to serve Appalla to keep her away from Mavros, and he took the form as many animals and creatures to stay by Daphne’s side, beings with golden eyes to watch over her. He gave her one more gift to counteract the curse Appalla bestowed upon her. She would live forever, thanks to Appalla’s love, but Eros bathed her under the water of Cupid’s fountain, and she began to bloom flowers from her skin and bone. She became a floral Goddess, a magic to keep her body attached to our realm here. From that, the day was named Pahned’s festival, the day of petals and water games.”

“It was all her… We never celebrated that day in Mavros - there are no fountains, in fear of sirens - but she always would make us drinks and we’d celebrate it regardless. She loved that day, and she never told me why.”

“You can’t be angry for not telling you, you know. She was only a child when she first died, and now she’s a Goddess hunted by one of the most powerful creators in all four realms.”

“Yes, of course, but how do you know this? If I can ask?” he said, “Did you know Eros?”

Samhain did not smile, and only sighed and said, “I think it was fate, you and I meeting, Jinmi.”